A Year in Review

I rowed 5,000m this morning. If memory serves correct, my previous benchmark was 200m... I’m not in a hurry to move the yardstick further out. Granted I was sitting on a dastardly machine, rather than the open water, but with naught to keep me company other than my gradually declining stroke rate, I’ll leave this sport for those so inclined.

.

With the holidays upon us, my running has inadvertently taken a back seat. This isn’t all too bad given my return from injury, but my sanity continues to take a beating. And so here I sit reflecting on the previous twelve months, once again amidst a whirlwind of emotions.

Winter

Early 2009 afforded me an opportunity to work with a fantastic marathon runner, Jon Brown. Although 8 months of poor/little sleep drastically affected my performance (resulting in my slowest half marathon in 10+ years), I still managed to take away some lessons, mainly in the importance of recovery.

.

Spring
Along with the arrival of daffodils, Ally, Isla and I enjoyed our much anticipated and inaugural pilgrimage to Boston. Not only did I have the pleasure of sharing the race with my family and friends (Hicham and Jaymie), the race allowed me the chance to meet Thomas, Mike and Mark (fellow bloggers). In the end, the time it took to capture the elusive unicorn, 3:15:28, was much slower than hoped, but the experience all the more rewarding.

.

Summer

After a colder than usual spring, the heat of the summer months was welcomed with open arms. With Boston behind me, I decided to run my first 5,000, track race. With limited fitness, the experience was truly painful. Much like Paul O’Neil once said, “a man who sets out to become an artist at the mile is something like a man who sets out to discover the most graceful method of being hanged. No matter how logical his plans, he cannot carry them out without physical suffering”. I think the same can be said for the 5,000.

.

Autumn

Along with orange and red leaves, fall brought my return to the Royal Victoria Marathon (my first ‘thon in 1994). What I enjoyed the most about my performance (not the race), was my ability to persevere despite feeling uncomfortable. This may seem trivial, but it’s easy to quit/slow down when the going gets tough. I’ve never raced a marathon that wasn’t difficult, but I’m most proud of the races where I’ve welcomed the pain.

.

All the best to everyone as they head out onto the roads and trails, thanks for reading and enjoy 2010!
.
Training:

Dec 24: day off (unscheduled)

Dec 25: day off (unscheduled)

Dec 26: day off (unscheduled)

Dec 27: day off (unscheduled)

.

Weekly mileage: 1h16’29”, +/- 18k or 11 miles